Hurricane Wind Driven Ventilator in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example

? Workplace (Report) Hurricane Wind Driven Ventilator in Saudi Arabia Table of contents Executive summary .......................................................................................................3 2. Wind power.....................................................................................................................4 3. An Introduction to the Project....................................................................................... 5 4. Objectives and Scope of the Project............................................................................... 6 5. Stakeholders in the Project............................................................................................. 7 6. Building of the Project.................................................................................................... 7 a. Strategy..................................................................................................................... 7 b. Tools and Equipment Used...................................................................................... 7 7. A Successful Project Implementation Phase.................................................................. 8 8. Critical Factors behind the Success................................................................................ 9 9. Conclusion – a Personal Reflection................................................................................ 10 10. Reference ........................................................................................................................11 Appendix Wind turbine wiring diagram. Fig.1.....................................................................................14 Executive summary Saudi Arabia is a hot and arid country where the weather conditions are generally very harsh. As such it affects the daily activities and production process. International Paints is a company based in UK. It was found that the company was reducing in its production levels during the hot seasons. So to combat this situation, the company had hired the company green energy solutions that developed the Hurricane: Wind Driven Ventilator. It was used for ventilation in the production units of International Paints that brought in a cooling effect. Wind power Wind power is the process of converting wind energy into any other form of energy that may be beneficial to human consumption or usage (Wind power, 2012). This can be done by using wind turbines for producing electricity (Fig 1) windmills to produce mechanical power, using wind pumps for pumping out water or in drainage and in the sails for propelling the seas in the oceans. A large winding farm can contain thousands of individual wind turbines (Mother Nature Takes a Part: Wind Energy, 1999) that are connected with the network of electric power transmission. The wind farms that are located in offshore locations usually harness powerful winds which are more frequent in the areas. In Saudi Arabia or the Gulf countries the wind pattern is more regular in nature (Hays, 2009). The power of the earth's wind along with the solar radiation that reaches earth can play a major role in increasing the energy supply in the kingdom. The project discussed in the paper is the Hurricane: Wind Driven Ventilator that was undertaken by the Green Energy Solutions company in Saudi Arabia. These exhaust ventilators were used to cool the temperatures during the hottest summers. An Introduction to the Project The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a dry, arid climate with continuous general flow of the wind (Dry Climates - B Climate Type, 2011). The Hurricane: Wind Driven Ventilator project was developed by Green Energy Solution. The company specializes in their knowledge about wind, solar energy and how to use these renewable sources of energy to produce an eco-friendly solution. There are many projects that have been completed by the company successfully in UAE. One such project was the Hurricane: Wind Driven Ventilator that was completed by the company known as International Paints (International Paints, n.d). It had set up its coating manufacturing plants in the kingdom. It was found that the plant was losing its productivity due to the sweltering heat of the summers. So, they approached Green Energy Solution to provide them with a solution (Green Energy Solutions, 2008). Objectives and Scope of the Project Green Energy Solutions was given the responsibility to manage the problem of extreme heat that was disrupting the functions in the coating manufacturing units of International Paints set up in the kingdom. There was no method to overcome the problems of extreme heat and humidity that used to build up in the manufacturing units. Their objective was to provide a ventilation system to the single storey buildings and maintain maximum ventilation even in the hottest periods during summer. As has been proved in reports, there is a positive co-relation between low productivity and the rising temperatures during the summer months (“Key Hurricane Roof,” 2008, p. 2). So, building natural ventilation was essential in the manufacturing plants of International Paints. The project was completed successfully by the company in the kingdom. Stakeholders in the Project The project was conducted by two companies: Green Energy Solutions that is based in UAE and International Paints which is a leading paints company in UK. International Paints had hired the company to come up with an eco-friendly solution for the manufacturing plants. The stakeholders involved in the project were the project leaders, project team members, top management group, project customers, the resource managers and the line managers of both companies. Building of the Project Strategy The Hurricane: Wind Driven Ventilator was the most advanced form of wind driven ventilator. There were several constructional events that were undertaken while executing the plan. The basic strategy used while making the ventilator was to capture the consistent flow of breezes to maintain constant ventilation in the ventilators (“Key Hurricane Roof,” 2008, p. 2). The ventilator that was built by them was one of the finest kinds. It was built on the concept that maximum flow of air is achieved through the ventilator vanes. The company had used this idea by optimizing the space between the ventilator vanes. Tools and Equipment Used As the weather condition in the region is hot and arid, the tools and equipment used in the construction had to be very good in strength and quality to withstand the temperature for a long period. The tools used in the project were made of aluminum of high tensile strength (Properties of Aluminium, 2012). The ventilators were made of stainless steel with double roller bearings to resist high temperatures. Plastic nylon was used in the ventilators, which made them sustain the high temperature ranges in the Saudi Arabian countries year after year (“Key Hurricane Roof,” 2008, p. 2). A Successful Project Implementation Phase The Hurricane: Wind Driven Ventilator was a huge success in the Middle East. The company International Paints was very satisfied with the solution provided and had installed 30 such ventilators in their Damman plants in Saudi Arabia (Green Energy Solutions, 2008). An engineer from the company, Joseph E. Jose, had confirmed the plans of the company to install a few more in their manufacturing plants. Careful planning and designing the right strategy are inevitable for the success in any business strategy (D’Angelo, 2009, p.48). The success for the operation can be attributed to the careful planning that had been undertaken by their project managers. The project managers had collaborated with the line managers to understand the raw materials and infrastructure that would be required for construction purposes in the high temperatures. This led them to manufacture ventilators that came with a warranty of 15 year (Green Energy Solutions, 2008). Critical Factors behind the Success There were many factors behind the success of the wind ventilator project that was undertaken by Green Energy Solutions. The most important planning strategy that was done by the project mangers was to analyze the region minutely and its landscape, wind pattern, temperature ranges etc. The managers understood that as the region was continuously supplied with wind all throughout days and nights, building a wind-run ventilator would save the running cost to a great extent as the ventilator would be running on its own wind power. Secondly, Damman in Saudi Arabia is the largest industrial area in the Gulf nations (Green Energy Solutions, 2008) which meant that making a project successful there would also prove to be beneficial to the company in the long run. The company had collaborated with an international company, which meant that doing business with it would also propel their existence outside UAE. Another insight obtained from the study is that the company had decided to build ventilators after examining the problems of extreme heat in the Gulf region. This was a tactical decision in the sense that it would increase their revenue to a large extent as no such product had been developed or was being used in the region. This would ensure that they remain the market leaders in the product. Careful planning also helped the company to reduce its cost structure. Conclusion – a Personal Reflection The Hurricane: Wind Driven Ventilator project in Saudi Arabia helped to understand how successful business plans and projects can be accomplished even in non-friendly environmental conditions. Saudi Arabia has a very hot climate all throughout the year. The people usually suffer from problems of hot air and high humidity. As was shown by the manufacturing plants of International Paints in Damman in Saudi Arabia, production had reduced because of the high temperatures. Green Energy Solutions provided them with the right solution. From their project strategy I was able to understand how it becomes necessary to understand not just the local and national mentality of the people but also the natural weather conditions and climate. Business companies often have a tendency to overlook this aspect. But as shown by the paint company, temperature and other weather conditions can play havoc with their production rates if they begin to affect the manpower hired by the company. There can also be risky situations where the basic infrastructure of the company might be affected by the weather conditions. Another important aspect that I leant from the project was the importance of line managers who get generally sidelined in a large scale business proposal. They are generally regarded to be the supervisors who would look after the line functions only. In the case of Green Energy Solutions, the company had used sophisticated materials for its construction purposes that were essential going by the hot, arid climate of the region. The line managers can provide ample information about the product and resources that would be required in a construction project. In addition, I learnt how careful planning and forming strategies after that could lead to a cost effective measure (Developing an Effective Dissemination Plan, 2001). The company had decided to harness the wind power that would be used for running the exhaust ventilators. It was a win-win for both companies. Firstly, International Paints would have to invest less in the project and secondly, the construction company, Green Energy Solution, would be able to work in a better condition due to natural supply of air. Thus, careful planning can go a long way in leading to a successful business project. Reference D'Angelo, J. 2009. Spa Business Strategies: A Plan for Success. Cengage Learning Developing an Effective Dissemination Plan, 2001. [Online] Available at: [Accessed October 4, 2012]. Dry Climates - B Climate Type. [Online] Available at: [Accessed October 4, 2012]. Green Energy Solutions, 2008. [Online] Available at: [Accessed September 28, 2012]. Hays, J. 2009. [Online] Available at: http://factsanddetails.com/world.php?itemid=1187&catid=52&subcatid=331 [Accessed October 4, 2012]. International Paints, n.d. [Online] Available at: < http://www.international-paints.co.uk/servlet/SiteAdvancedSearchHandler?failURL=/search/index.jsp&range=EUKINT&successURL=/search/results.jsp&document-type=ideas&searchString=Red > [Accessed October 4, 2012]. Key Hurricane Roof Wind-Driven Ventilator Installations in the Middle East, 2008. [Online] Available at: < http://www.greenenergysolutions.ae/docs/hurricane.pdf > [Accessed September 28, 2012]. Mother Nature Takes a Part: Wind Energy, 1999. [Online] Available at: < http://www.partselect.com/JustForFun/Mother-Nature-Takes-a-Part-Wind-Energy.aspx > [Accessed October 4, 2012]. Properties of Aluminium, 2012. [Online] Available at: < http://www.aluminiumdesign.net/why-aluminium/properties-of-aluminium/ > [Accessed October 4, 2012]. Wind power, 2012. [Online] Available at: < http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/technology/wind-power/ > [Accessed October 4, 2012]. Appendix FIG 1: wind turbine wiring diagram Read More